Senior Capstone: '8 Count'

Self-Portraits

My interest in photography led me to focus on the negative effects of dance on dancers' mental health. In the dance industry, mental well-being often gets neglected. If you're struggling physically or emotionally, dance instructors tell you to “toughen up” and invalidate you completely. Staring at myself in overwhelmingly large mirrors that distort my perception of reality for over sixteen hours a week, I began to realize how uncomfortable I was in my own body. I didn’t want to be perceived by anyone; I was so hyper-fixated on seeing my flaws.

Being vulnerable is something I find difficult, so I decided to leap outside my comfort zone for this project through self-portraiture. I want to show how something as beautiful as dance can make you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel. Even though I look strong on the outside, inside, I feel encapsulated by darkness. Mental health is like an 8 Count, a repeating cycle of monotony that feels as if it never ends.

"FINALE": Studio Art Capstone Exhibition

Katzen Arts Center at American University

April 17th-May 1st